I need thee, O I need thee...

Happy Sunday!

Romans 8:5-8 says, "Those who think they can do it on their OWN end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored."(Message).

One of the things I remind God, and also myself in prayer, is that I can't make it on my own.  As the saints sing, "I need thee, O I need thee.  Every hour I need thee.  O bless me now my Savior.  I come to thee".   That's why I appreciate the Word of God.   Daily, the Holy Spirit ensures that I am led to the right scriptures, the right preached messages, and the right correction when necessary.  I wish I were perfect, it would be so much easier.  But until I am perfected, I will continue to allow the Word to wash me.  Ephesians 6:25-26 says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,"(KJV).  Don't miss this!  Jesus sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of the water by the Word!  Zig Ziglar said, “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily".   Prayer, meditation, and study of the Word should be our daily norm.

Our lesson today in Children's Church was entitled, "What is Prayer?".  Prayer is communication with God. Communication is defined as "the imparting or exchanging of information or news".  I immediately thought of my Aunt Sophia, and my cousin, Sonya.  They are dedicated to speaking to each other daily.  They have built an exquisite mother-daughter/friend relationship and strengthen it daily with conversation.  Prayer should be a back and forth conversation with our loving, compassionate Father.  So often, it becomes a ritual, even drudgery.  What if I called you and never allowed you the opportunity to respond to anything I said?  What if I knew you loved me and wanted to spend time with me, but I only contacted you in emergencies or when I needed money?   Is this how we treat God?

Why don't we talk to people?  Why don't we talk to God?  If we examine ourselves, we may get the answer.  Are we hesitant to talk to people after they have hurt, offended, and disappointed us?  Life is hard enough without rehashing old hurts. I know how you feel.  But Jesus said, "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."(Luke 6:28, KJV).  Are we not talking to God because things didn't work out as we expected?  Most of us have experienced the loss of a loved one.  We may not say it out loud, but we must admit that we have questioned what God could have done to change the situation.  Many times in my own experience ignorance of the Word has caused my anger toward God.   Communication and conversation are so much easier when we know each other well.  Are we not communicating with God because we really don't know Him?

Lots of things to think about...and pray about.

Love and prayers, Cynthia